OPINION: Homophobia in Sports: Is Enough Being Done?

This past week Joakim Noah, a center for the Chicago Bulls, called a fan in the stands a "F**king f**got" ( read the whole story here). Last month, Kobe Bryant called a referee the same explicit epithet. Both were made to apologize- under the pressure of the NBA as well as GLBT advocacy such as GLAAD, and were made to pay a heavy sum of money to the NBA for using the slur. But has this really changed their minds? Only Noah and Bryant know for sure- but I would argue that making homophobic sports players pay sums of money for their "mistakes" only makes them more hardened to stand by their ways.

Sure, it will probably stop them from using gay slurs on the court- but what about at home, in the locker room, or with their friends? Many may think that it doesn't matter what they say- as long as it's not in the public eye. I am here to tell those people that it does matter. As more and more people in the GLBT community come out of the closet, it is evident that there are members of the community all around us. What I am saying is just because someone does not say they are gay, doesn't mean that they are straight- obvious, right?

Maybe- and that is the point I am trying to make. It seems the resolve is staring everyone in the face but no one in sports really wants to address it- EDUCATION. Education is the key to acceptance. These sports powerhouses- whether it be the NBA, NHL, MLB, or NFL- need to educate their players on the importance of acceptance- not only for their own good, but more importantly for all those who look up to them and are trying to follow in their footsteps- young athletes and sports fans.

I can envision someone reading this post and saying "Okay, Nick- I think you are going a little overboard here- they apologized, they got fined, what more do you want?" The truth is- I want complete acceptance and I will not stop pioneering for GLBT rights in all areas until that goal is reached.

Here's why- Jaheem Herrera, an 11 year old from Atlanta, GA, killed himself last year after enduring years of torture from his classmates for being, as his family said, "effeminate". His 10 year old sister walked in to his room and found he had hung himself by his own belt in his closet. Add that to over a dozen well-publicized grade school GLBT youth suicides in just the past year alone- and those are just the ones that made it into the media. Many of these kids look up to sports figures as heroes.

So what do you think happens when a gay or lesbian 11 year old, while watching the NBA playoffs in their #13 Chicago Bulls Jersey in their living room, hears their hero call someone a fag? It's bad enough going to school everyday and getting bullied- believe me, I know- but how about hearing it from someone they have looked up to? Do you think an 11 year old feels better when Noah or Bryant is ordered to pay a monetary fine for their gay slur? Of course not- the damage is done.

This is why we must be on the defensive instead of the offensive when it comes to homophobia in sports. We need more education, more professional teams supportive of the gay community, more done in sports in general to ensure these kids can keep their heroes in tact as well as have a positive role model to look up to.

One ESPN.com commenter commented on the Noah Gay slur story calling it "just an insult- like calling someone an a**hole- people need to stop being so sensitive about this stuff". Maybe he should tell that to Jaheem Herrera's family.


To find out what you can do to help: start at http://www.itgetsbetter.org/. The San Francisco Giants have already pledged  to record a video. The first pitch has already been thrown. Will you help knock it out of the park or strike out?